Generation of electronically excited states in situ. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes treated with phenylacetaldehyde

In polymorphonuclear leukocytes phenylacetaldehyde promotes an intracellular O2 consuming process in which myeloperoxidase participates. The reaction is accompanied by lipid peroxidation as shown by both malondialdehyde formation and biphasic light emission. The lipid peroxidation appears to be induced by intracellularly generated triplet benzaldehyde. When chlorophyll-a is solubilized in the leukocytes, biphasic emission is observed in the red, demonstrating that the excited species formed in lipid peroxidation transfer their energy to chlorophylls bound to the cell. The energy transfer process is efficient and does not occur by radiative transfer.